In order to remain competitive in the home entertainment industry, manufacturers and service providers are increasing efforts to develop improved entertainment systems. A rapidly evolving type of entertainment system relates to a personal video recorder system. A personal video recorder system includes a large digital data storage device, such as a hard disk drive, for storing recorded audio and/or video programming in a digital format (without a videotape). The storage device enables the viewer to efficiently implement a time shifting function so that the viewer can watch the recorded program at a more convenient time. The personal video recorder system receives broadcast programs from a service provider, such as in the form of cable television, satellite, or other source of programming. The personal video recorder system also may employ a video compression system (e.g., an MPEG-2 format) in combination with an analog to digital converter for converting analog broadcast signals into a suitable digital format. Alternatively and/or additionally, the personal video recorder system may receive broadcast signals in digital format.
Current digital rights management schemes as applied to personal video recorders and/or re-broadcast services are deficient in that they typically cannot handle time released distributions of multimedia content. For example, current digital rights management schemes cannot distribute multimedia content to a multitude of receptive clients for release, playback and/or re-distribution on some future date. Rather what transpires today is that as soon as multimedia content is distributed from a secure distribution center the content immediately becomes available; there currently does not exist a facility and/or mechanism that can release the content in a controlled time centric manner.